Heartache Central Time
by Annie Wright
Summary: ‘I never thought I’d say this, but working with John may have been the biggest mistake I’ve made. Being his friend is difficult enough, but being his co-worker may end up destroying me.’


Title: Heartache Central Time Author: Annie Wright (AnnieW177@aol.com) Rating: PG Spoilers: Daemonicus Category: post-ep for Daemonicus, D/R UST Disclaimer: Not mine. Just playing. Summary: 'I never thought I'd say this, but working with John may have been the biggest mistake I've made. Being his friend is difficult enough, but being his co-worker may end up destroying me.' Authors notes at the end  
  
Thought you were one who wouldn't run  
  
Who wouldn't do me wrong. -Indigo Girls  
  
  
  
  
  
"Monica?" Scully's voice echoed through the empty lecture hall. Monica had looked so sad, so dejected that Scully was worried. She'd never seen the perpetually sunny Agent Reyes look so upset. "Are you okay?" Monica turned to her, and in her eyes Scully could see a deep sorrow. "No." "Do you want to talk about it?" "No." Monica gave her a sad smile. "I'll be okay, I just need some time. Thanks anyway." "Well, if you'd like to talk." Monica nodded. "Thank you, Dana. But I'll be fine." She gave Scully a wan smile before heading up the stairs and out of the lecture hall. Scully sat down on her desk with a sigh. If Monica was saying she was fine, then she most certainly wasn't.  
  
  
  
The car ride from Quantico back to Headquarters was awkwardly silent. Monica sat staring out the passenger side window, hands folded in her lap. John looked over at her, his brows furrowed in puzzlement. "You okay?" She turned to him, and the pain in her eyes took his breath away. "No." He felt a flutter of nervousness in his stomach. "Mon." "Don't, John. Just leave it." She turned back to the window, and John hoped that it was only his imagination that saw tears in her eyes. Monica leaned over and rummaged around in her bag, pulling out a small, spiral- bound notebook and a pen. After a brief moment she opened it and began writing. John stole a glance out of the corner of his eye. Her face showed no emotion but he could tell she was upset. And not just a little upset; no, Monica was in a world of hurt if she wouldn't even talk about it. Keeping things bottled up wasn't her style, and so the fact that she wouldn't talk worried John more than anything. "Mon." "Please, John. Just leave me alone." "What's the matter?" He furrowed his brow in concern. "This isn't like ya, Mon. Now come on, what's the matter?" She stopped writing long before she looked over at him, and when she finally did look at him he knew the tears in her eyes hadn't been his imagination. "What do you care?" she asked softly, turning back to her writing before he could even answer. "Whaddaya mean, what do I care? A'course I care, Monica." She laughed wryly. "Could have fooled me." He felt as though he had been slapped. "What?" "You heard me." "Why are ya bein' like this?" John was frustrated now, and he sighed heavily. "I could ask you the same thing." In the back of his mind, red flags went up. Monica wasn't one for double talk or one sentence answers, and was even less inclined to be sarcastic or harsh. "Was it somethin' someone said?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "You could say that." "Well? Can ya elaborate for me?" It was several long moments before she answered, and she did so as they reached the Hoover building. "It was something you said.or rather, everything you said and plenty of things you didn't." She shoved her book and pen back into her bag and opened the car door, slamming it shut before John could even answer. "Monica.aww, shit." He hit the steering wheel in frustration. This was just fantastic. He watched her walk down the street and into the building, wondering what he had done to piss her off so badly and how on earth he could fix it. It was then John spied her notebook on the floor of the car. He leaned over and picked it up, turning it over in his hands several times, wondering whether or not to open it. If they were case notes he should look at them, but a niggling sensation in the pit of his stomach told him they weren't case notes. He debated for a moment before opening the cover and reading. He only needed to read a few sentences before he realized what had upset Monica so badly, and he felt like an ass. He should have known, should have realized it, should have seen this coming a mile away. But it wasn't until he got to the last sentence that his guilt became overwhelming. 'I never thought I'd say this, but working with John may have been the biggest mistake I've made. Being his friend is difficult enough, but being his co-worker may end up destroying me.' John sighed. This was bad indeed. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Monica's cell number, but got her voicemail. Great. She was avoiding him now. "Mon, it's me.I've got an errand to run so I might not be back before you leave today. I'll see ya tomorrow." He debated a moment on whether or not to apologize, but decided against it for now. Instead he called Scully. "Agent Doggett? Is everything okay?" Scully's voice was concerned. "Monica wasn't looking so well when she left." "That's why I was callin'." "What's going on?" "This might be easier in person. You gonna be home tonight?" "Yeah, I'll be home in about an hour. Meet me there, okay?" "Great, thanks." He hung up with a sigh. He had a feeling things were going to get worse before they got better.  
  
  
  
"Have a seat," Scully said, ushering John into her living room. He sat down on her couch and she sat next to him, leaning forward. "What's the matter?" John sighed. "I want to ask you somethin'." "Okay." "Was I harsh with Monica durin' this case?" A hesitant look crossed Scully's face. "Well, John.I think the problem was that she was giving you answers you weren't ready to hear." "Don't sugar-coat this, Dana. Give it to me straight." She sighed. "Yes, John. You were hard on her. Extremely so." John sighed and leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. Scully placed a comforting hand on his back. "John, look.things like this happen. You're new to working together, and there's always some friction when two people as different as you and Monica begin a partnership." "Yeah, but we were friends first. I shoulda been nicer." "Maybe, but you and Monica think differently. You're not used to being asked to think the way Monica does. John, you have to learn to think outside the box, and you have to learn to respect Monica and the way her mind works. She's a great agent, and I have a feeling she's probably a very good friend to you." "Yeah, well, she's not speakin' to me now." "I know it's probably not what you want to hear, but I can't say I blame her." He gave her a withering look, and she gave a chuckle. "Look, as much as you think of her as 'just Monica,' she's also a woman. And trust me when I say that when a woman has been hurt the way I suspect Monica has been, she just needs some time." At that, he handed her Monica's journal. "And how much time do you give someone who thinks you're gonna destroy them emotionally?" Scully looked taken aback at this. "That sounds a bit.did she say that to you?" "It's in there." Scully opened to the first page. "You didn't.John, you shouldn't have read this." "I didn't mean to.I opened it to see if maybe it was case notes or somethin' and then I realized what it was." He sighed. "I feel even worse now." Scully set the journal on the coffee table and stood up. "And for good reason." "So what do I do?" John looked up at her. "If Mulder were here, what would he do?" "First of all, you aren't Mulder and Monica isn't me. Secondly, if you really feel badly, all you can do is apologize and hope she accepts it." "So I just apologize and hope she doesn't leave?" "In a nutshell, yes." John stood. "I don't accept that." "What, are you going to chase her around and hound her until she speaks to you?" He pursed his lips. "That's about the long an' short of it, yeah." Scully chuckled. "And you say you and Mulder have nothing in common." She sighed. "I know I can't stop you but please, for Monica's sake, be gentle with her. She's sacrificed a lot to come here and be here for you. Appreciate her, John, because you never know when one day she won't be here for you." He inhaled deeply. "I know, which is why I gotta do this." Scully nodded. "Good luck." John took the stairs two at a time down to his truck and drove to Monica's hotel as fast as possible without breaking any laws. It wasn't until he was in the lobby that he realized he had no idea what room she was in, so he walked over to the desk. "I'm lookin' for Monica Reyes. Can you tell me what room she's in?" The clerk looked at him. "Can I ask why?" John took out his ID and flashed it. "I'm her partner." The clerk nodded and began typing into a computer. "Miss Reyes checked out about an hour ago. Sorry." John sighed. "She say where she was goin'?" "No, sir." He nodded. He should have expected this. "Thanks." Walking outside, he dialed her cell phone, only to get her voicemail once again. Cursing, he hung up and looked around, thoughtful. After a moment he dialed his phone again. "Lone Gunmen," Langly's voice answered. "Langly, it's John Doggett. I need a favor from you guys."  
  
  
  
Monica stood in her apartment in New Orleans, unsure of where to start. Her living room was filled with half-packed boxes, and bubble wrap littered her floor. With a sigh, she sat down on the floor and leaned against her couch. She hated feeling this way, but even more, she hated herself for allowing John to make her feel this way. She was intelligent, strong, a good agent, so why was John's stubbornness eating away at her? It wasn't like it was a huge personality change for him; for as long as she'd known him he'd been as stubborn as the day is long. But it wasn't his stubbornness that hurt her, it was his flagrant disregard for anything she had said. She hadn't expected him to be completely open-minded, but she had a sinking feeling that if Scully had posed the same ideas to him, he would have accepted them as gospel truth. And therein, Monica thought, lies the problem. She sighed and stood up, rummaging around in boxes for her CDs. At least her stereo was still hooked up. She had just found her Annie Lennox CD when the phone rang. She stared at it a moment before deciding to let the machine get it. "Monica, it's Dana. I tried to call you at your hotel here in DC, and your cell phone was off, so I thought maybe you'd be back in New Orleans.guess not. Okay, well, if you are back in New Orleans and you get this." Monica picked up the receiver with a sigh. "I'm here." "I had a feeling." "How did you find me?" "I called AD Skinner and he pulled your file for me." Scully paused. "Monica, what's wrong." "Nothing's wrong."  
  
"I know you're lying to me, Monica. You're not the type to up and skip town without telling your partner where you were going. Now spill it." "Look.I had to come back here and finish packing for the movers, and I have some time off coming to me, so I thought I'd use it." "Why now?" "Why not?" "And why didn't you tell John?" "Because, frankly, it's none of his business." "Is this about the case?" Scully asked, her patience wearing thin. "Monica, look. You have to understand." "No, you have to understand," Monica interrupted, her voice sharper than Scully had ever heard it. "I may as well not even be there, the way John was acting. So I've decided I won't be." "Monica, you can't be serious." "Why should I stay if all I'm going to get is grief? John doesn't listen to my theories, he doesn't respect them, and he certainly doesn't respect me. Why should I stay?" Scully sighed. "I understand why you would feel that way. John feels badly for what happened, and he's been trying all day to get in touch with you to apologize." "How do you know?" "He called me and asked for my advice." Monica gave a wry laugh. "Figures." "What figures." "That he'd ask you." "Why does that matter?" Scully was confused. "Don't you get it?" Monica's voice was tinged with sadness. "You could say the moon was made of cheese and he'd take it as gospel truth, but if I told him the same thing, he'd just call me nuts." The realization hit Scully like a ton of bricks. Monica was in love with John. She mentally berated herself-she'd seen the signs, why hadn't she picked up on them? She sighed heavily. "Monica, look.John and I think the same way, and it took a long time for me to get used to Mulder's out- there theories. He'll come around, it just takes some time." Monica sighed. "Yeah, well." "Please, Monica, don't give up on him just yet. He really feels bad about what happened. Talk to him. Let him apologize." Scully paused. "You've been through too much together to let this come between you." "I know." "And despite his actions over the last few days, he really does care about you. He's sorry, Monica. Let him show you." "Okay." Monica hung up and looked around, heaving a sigh as a lone tear rolled down her face. Some days she just couldn't win.  
  
  
  
Music was blaring from within apartment 2A, and John heaved a sigh. This wasn't going to be easy. Taking another deep breath, he rapped on the door. "Monica?" Monica turned the music down and looked through her peephole. When she saw John standing there, she felt a mix of pleasure and dread; he had followed her all the way here, but there was no saying he hadn't come here to fight. "I know you're there, Monica, I just talked to Scully. Open up." He banged harder this time. Monica took a deep breath and opened the door. "What?" A hurt look flickered across his face, and for a moment she regretted being so harsh. "Can I come in?" She stared at him a moment before turning and walking back into her living room, leaving the door open. "I, uh, I went to your hotel, but they said you'd checked out." John shut the door quietly behind him. "So.you going to tell me what you're doin' here?" "I live here." "But you're movin' to DC." Monica avoided his eyes by busying herself with her CDs, arranging them alphabetically on a shelf. "I don't know, John. Am I?" "Don't ya wanna work on the X-Files anymore?" "It depends." "On what?" "On whether or not my partner is going to respect me." John hung his head; he'd deserved that, and he knew it. "Mon, listen.I'm sorry. I was a jerk and I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt ya." He walked over to her and turned her to him, his hands on her upper arms. "Look at me, please, Monica. I can't stand it when ya won't look at me." Slowly, she raised her eyes to his and in them he saw all the pain he had caused. He had never felt like such a complete and total jackass in all his life. "God, Mon, I'm so sorry. I would hate to think ya gave up the job of your dreams because I was an asshole." He sighed. "What can I do to make it up to ya?" "Treat me better." Her eyes welled with tears. "Listen to what I say. Don't be so quick to dismiss me. Show me some respect." "Does this mean you're comin' back to DC?" "If you promise me things will be different." "I promise." John pulled her into a hug. "I don't know what came over me, Mon. I got a lot to learn about bein' open minded an' all." She hugged him back, fighting back her tears. "It's okay, John. I forgive you." He pulled back and smiled at her, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "Next time I'm an asshole, just tell me, okay?" She nodded, laughing. "Okay, so I have to ask.how did you find me?" "Well, I suspected you'd come back here, but I wanted to be sure, so I had the Gunmen find out for me. They also got me a great price on a plane ticket."  
  
She smiled. "So when do you leave?" "I, uh, got an open ended ticket." He laughed embarrassedly. "I wasn't sure how long it was gonna take me to talk ya into comin' back with me." She smiled. "Hotel room?" "I didn't think that far ahead. I just wanted to get here and talk to ya." "So, you have no place to stay and no flight home, right?" "Pretty much." Monica laughed. "You can stay here, but you have to clean the couch off yourself, and you have to help me pack tomorrow." "Deal."  
  
  
  
When Monica walked back into the X-Files office two days later, the office was empty. She looked around and when her gaze fell upon her desk, she smiled. Sitting on her desk was a bouquet of pink and yellow roses. Smiling, she threw her coat over the chair and picked the card out of the arrangement, inhaling the roses' sweet scent. 'Just a little token of my appreciation. I'm glad you're here. John.' Monica grinned so hard she was sure her face was going to split. As she tucked the card in her wallet, there was a knock on the door. "Glad to see you back where you belong," Scully said with a smile. "Nice flowers." Monica turned to her. "Did you tell John to do this?" "Nope, that was all him. They're lovely." Scully smiled. "So I take it things are okay between you." Monica nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. I think you're good for him." Monica blushed slightly. "We'll see." Scully reached out and touched Monica's arm. "Give it time, Monica. He'll come around." Monica looked at Scully for a moment, puzzled, and then realization dawned on her. She blushed and turned away. "Don't be embarrassed, Monica. I can see why you'd like him." Scully gave her a knowing smile. "And why he'd like you. I imagine he's a man who likes a challenge.and if there was ever a woman who would be a challenge to him, it's you." Monica laughed. "Thanks.I think." The door burst open and John saw Scully and Monica standing there and immediately felt out of place. "Did I interrupt somethin'?" "I was just welcoming Monica back to the X-Files," Scully said smoothly. "I was here to pick something up from one of the labs, and if I don't leave now I'll miss my class." She smiled at Monica. "I will.give you a call later." Monica nodded. After Scully had left, John turned to her. "What was that about?" "Nothing. Just some girl talk. Thanks for the flowers." "Least I could do." Impulsively, Monica walked over to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I think we're gonna be okay," she whispered as she breezed past him and out the door. He smiled. Yeah, they would.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
John was SUCH an ass in "Daemonicus" and I had to redeem him. If I were Monica, I'd have kicked his ass six ways to Sunday and made him thank me for the privilege. I can't believe he'd be such an almighty prick to her! So, I had him redeem himself. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. And I had to get rid of that DSR crap.whatever. Apparently 1013 didn't get the memo about Scully going with Mulder and Reyes going with Doggett. Duh.  
  
The song doesn't really fit but the title was wicked catchy, so I klepped it. It's a kick-ass song, by the way-I highly recommend bootlegging it.  
  
Thanks to my betas-you all rock my world!  
  
Feedback is warmly welcomed at AnnieW177@aol.com. 


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